NBC board: Lai amended broadcasting code alone — his action is illegal

AUTHOR:
Dyepkazah Shibayan
AUGUST 13, 2020 1:23 PM

Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, chairman of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) board, says Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, amended the country’s broadcasting code “unilaterally”.

The controversial amended code was launched in Lagos on August 4 despite opposition by stakeholders in the industry.

One of the amendments to the code is the increase of hate speech fine from N500,000 to N5 million and the provision for sub-licensing of all broadcast contents among others.

In June, Armstrong Idachaba, NBC acting director-general (DG), disowned a call for position papers by the board of the commission on the amendments.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Bilbis said he received over 50 position papers for the sixth amendment of the code but none of the input was considered.

“Following the 2019 national elections, some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) made observations to the Honourable Minister of Information at a FEC meeting about the divisive broadcasts engaged in by some broadcast media before, during and after the elections and the need to strengthen the operations of the NBC to avert such future occurrence,” the chairman said.

“This noble observation of Mr. President was unfortunately misunderstood by the Hon. Minister of Information.

“Instead of studying and following the law, relevant rules and regulations, and direct the appropriate authorities as stipulated by the law to act on, he erroneously embarked on the review alone.

“As a board, we have received and taken our time to compile the responses of numerous stakeholders which include our Nobel Laureate, activists, legal practitioners, broadcasters, investors, BON, Content Creators, Copyright experts and professional organisations. Most of them have adduced reasonable reasons against the proposed amendment.

“The NBC was set up by law and there is an Act that guides its operations. The Honourable Minister therefore cannot usurp the powers of the board as clearly stated in the Act. Any such action by the Honourable Minister is illegal.

“The board of the NBC wishes to make it quite clear that as long as it is in place, the only NB Code that we recognise and which we shall work with in the setting of operating policies and standards for the NBC is the 6th edition of the NB code which was launched in 2019 in Kano.”

Bilbis said the board was not informed of the launch and that out of 60 stakeholders, the minister picked only four to be present.

“You may all recall that by 26th march 2020, (the day of the ‘Public Presentation’ in Lagos), the federal government had already announced a COVID-19 lockdown of Lagos, Ogun states and the FCT,” he said.

“It was therefore not a sincere effort to present such an important ‘review document’ which affects people’s investments and livelihoods under such a situation.”

The board chairman said the amendment will destroy investments and lead to job losses, adding that the minister has failed to show the approval of “his own version” by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The NBC is made up of a board of commissioners appointed by the president as a policy-making body.

The DG of the commission is a member of the board who over oversees the day-to-day running of the organisation.


https://www.thecable.ng/nbc-board-lai-amended-broadcasting-code-alone-his-action-is-illegal/amp

Why is this Lai of a man always so disturbed about anything that unravels the truth and exposes government deceit & hypocrisy. He is so bitter about constructive criticisms. No amount of cooked up fines will deter wickedness in high places from being exposed. They will never be rest for the wicked.

The DG unwittingly made a key revelation...

Following the 2019 national elections, some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) made observations to the Honourable Minister of Information at a FEC meeting about the divisive broadcasts engaged in by some broadcast media before, during and after the elections and the need to strengthen the operations of the NBC to avert such future occurrence,” the chairman said.[/b]

“[b]This noble observation of Mr. President was unfortunately misunderstood by the Hon. Minister of Information."

The DG seems to be implying that it was the president himself who is interested in promoting seemingly Draconian policies to stifle the media...

When will these people learn to put their houses in order?

Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has said that the recent proscription order against Boko Haram & Ansaru violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by stifling the press and tampering with the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.....

The ACN sec.Lai Mohammed.....said the order also makes it easy for an increasingly intolerant govt to clamp down on the opposition, which its sees more as an irritant

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/proscribing-boko-haram-ansaru-wrong-says-acn/
If Lai Mohamed can view the then govt proscription of BH terrorists back then as stiffling human rights then but today the govt he subserve is granting same terrorists amnesty, then one can imagine the kind of wicked people Nigeria have today.

Remember it's the same Lai Mohammed that initially lied as usual that the government is not after any "hate speech or social media regulation" bill only for him to later come out with this tyrannical approach to criticism.

This is a man whose mouth was so loose & uncouth back then but today does not want to tolerate any dissident voice because of belonging to a failed but intolerant government.

Lai will never be in d news for good reasons at all

The same Lai that was a torment to the PDP government yet was never called by any security agency for question cannot accept objective and constructive criticism.
You do not throw stones in a glass house
So bad

“The NBC was set up by law and there is an Act that guides its operations.The Honourable Minister therefore cannot usurp the powers of the board as clearly stated in the Act.Any such action by the Honourable Minister is illegal

Anarchy and lawlessness by all appointees under the failed president.